My Latest Shinanigans!

So I'm sure that many of you have just been on the edge of your seats, dying for me to update my blog and find out all about what's going in my life.  So please forgive me for making you wait so incredibly long and making you suffer ;-) 

So here's what I've been up to these past few months...

Our 6th Annual Camping Trip at San Clemente State Park

Trying to make shadow pictures...

A visit to Haiti to see all of my kidies!

A day that just wasn't long enough with my wonderful friend Valerie

We all had to say goodbye to Pami as she moved to the Philippines as a missionary

Beautiful Torrey Pines Beach

On an "intense" hike at Torrey Pines

Kai was so excited for our walk at Torrey Pines

Dana visited me from Florida a few weeks ago, and did everything from karaoke, walks along the beach, breakfast and coffee along the ocean, to shopping and dancing!  It was the absolute perfect weekend with her!

Dana and I in at Hotel del Coronado drinking mimosa's & mojito's as we watched the gorgeous sunset

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remembering January 12, 2010

I can hardly believe it's already been a year since the earthquake hit us in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on January 12, 2010.  It all seems so surreal, even now.  I still feel like I can't fully wrap my mind around all that I saw and experienced last year.  I can't imagine what the people are experiencing who lost a loved one during the tragedy.  My heart is breaking for them, and all i know to do is pray for them (which is really the best thing anyone can do).  I hope that all of you who read this and remember last year, will pray for everyone who is hurting over what happened last year. 

Enjoying each moment

     I have realized recently that i have been putting my life on hold for the past few months.  And that is no way to live.  I don't think that life is meant to be waited on.  There will always be unknowns in my life, but i don't want to put off what i could be doing right now.  Life will pass me by without me even realizing it, and i don't want to miss out on it. 
     So with that said, i have decided to really enjoy each moment more as it comes. One of those moments was the other night, when my good friend and i were sitting next to a large window in a little coffee shop called Lestats, and were reading our books while we watched the rain pour down on the street outside.  It was perfect.  And i never wanted it to end.
     Or laughing so hard with my entire family trying not to let tears run down our faces as we opened some of the most obnoxious gifts of wrestling suits, books on "This is Why You're Fat," handerpants (yes, it's true, whitey tighties for the hands), and an oversized white camel for the centerpiece.
     Or watching a woman get out of her car in the pouring down rain in San Diego, and walk up the hill to a homeless man sitting under the overpass to see how she could help him out. 
      Or sitting for hours with a good friend. 
      It's moments like those that are priceless, and i'm not going to let them pass me by any longer.  I would encourage you to do the same.

     

Little bundle of joy =)

Just another day in San Diego with Tilly and baby Kai at Mission Beach!

 Apparently his fists are pretty much the most fascinating things he's ever seen.  

He could stare at them for hours!

Visiting Julie...Finally!

After what felt like 100 years of separation from Julie (seeing that i hadn't seen her since June of 2009 before i left for Haiti (well except for 2 hours this past June, which barely counts!), we were finally able to do everything and nothing together, and it was perfect!  Julie is one of those friends that will stick with you until the end, no matter what it takes.  She's one of the greatest friends anyone could ever ask for.  She's always been there for me when life is hard, when life is awesome, and everything in between.  We've gone on endless road trips together, we've taken countless photos (no but really, it's true. I don't think it's possible to count them all), we've shot catwalk videos (which i am horrid at just for the record!), we've made commercials together, we've made so many singing and dancing videos, we've finger painted, we've sang our hearts out at karaoke, and so much more!  It's not every day that you find a friend like Julie.  This last time that we were together, her, her boyfriend, and i decided to pack a picnic and go spend the day at the beach!  Little did we know that every road that actually could get us to the beach was pretty much blocked off due to fires the day before.  And little did we know that there was only one gas station within a 500 mile radius (well okay, maybe that's a bit exaggerated), so when a car is on empty, that's usually not the best place to be.  So instead of ever making it to the beach, we had to find gas before we got stranded in the middle of nowhere, and decided to take these lovely photos instead!  When Julie and I are together, we never cease to make any situation fun, no matter how much it doesn't fit into our original plan!  Love you Jules!

Below: Julie & Ryan

 Below: GQ photoshoot (well kind of ;-)

 Below: Fun on the slides!!

Family Photo Shoot at Boulevard Park

 

Before leaving Bellingham, WA, my brother and his wife asked me to photograph their family at the bay.  It was the perfect crisp fall day with colorful leaves all over the ground.  We had so much fun taking photos along the boardwalk at Boulevard park as well as on the rocky beach where the girls learned how to hunt for crabs under the rocks!  Over the summer I was able to spend a lot of time with my nieces, which was really the first time I got to spend more than 2 weeks at a time with them (due to me living in San Diego and Haiti). We got to pitch a tent one night and camp out in the backyard (which was always my favorite past time as a kid!), we went to different parks together, and we even painted purses with puffy paint and decorated mugs for mommy and daddy!  It was such a perfect summer with my family, and I'm so grateful for that time with them.

Photos taken with my Nikon D70 

Boulevard Park,  Bellingham, WA

Wahoo Bay, Haiti